A screen shot of Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI embracing, from television coverage of today's consistory in St. Peter's Basilica.

Today, on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Francis
elevated 19 prelates from all over the world to the position of cardinal at a
consistory held in St. Peter’s Basilica. Eighteen of the 19 new cardinals were
in attendance; Cardinal Loris Capovilla, the 98-year-old former secretary of Blessed
John XXIII, was created a cardinal in
absentia.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in a rare public appearance, sat
with the College of Cardinals as that group’s new members each received the
biretta and the cardinal’s ring from Pope Francis.

At this
moment too, Jesus is walking ahead of us. He is always before us. He goes ahead
of us and leads the way… This is the source of our confidence and our joy: to
be his disciples, to remain with him, to walk behind him, to follow him…

When with
the Cardinals we concelebrated the first Mass in the Sistine Chapel, the first
word which the Lord proposed to us was “to walk”, to journey with him: to
journey, and then to build and to profess.
Today this same
word is repeated, but now as an action, an action of Jesus which is ongoing:
“Jesus was walking…”. This is something striking about the Gospels: Jesus is
often walking and he teaches his disciples along the way. This is important.
Jesus did not come to teach a philosophy, an ideology… but rather “a way”, a
journey to be undertaken with him, and we learn the way as we go, by walking.
Yes, dear brothers, this is our joy: to walk with Jesus.

And this is
not easy, or comfortable, because the way that Jesus chooses is the way of the
Cross. As they journey together, he speaks to his disciples about what will
happen in Jerusalem: he foretells his passion, death and resurrection. And they
are “shocked” and “full of fear”. They were shocked, certainly, because for
them going up to Jerusalem meant sharing in the triumph of the Messiah, in his
victory  we see this in the request made by James and John. But they were also
full of fear for what was about to happen to Jesus, and for what they
themselves might have to endure.

Unlike the
disciples in those days, we know that Jesus has won, and that we need not fear
the Cross; indeed, the Cross is our hope. And yet, we are all too human,
sinners, tempted to think as men do, not as God does.

And once we
follow the thinking of the world, what happens? The Gospel tells us: “When the
ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John” (Mk 10:41). They
were indignant. Whenever a worldly mentality predominates, the result is
rivalry, jealousy, factions…

And so the
word which Jesus speaks to us today is most salutary. It purifies us inwardly,
it enlightens our consciences and helps us to unite ourselves fully with Jesus,
and to do so together, at this time when the College of Cardinals is enlarged
by the entrance of new members.

“And Jesus
called them to himself…” (Mk 10:42). Here is the other action of Jesus. Along
the way, he is aware that he needs to speak to the Twelve; he stops and calls
them to himself. Brothers, let us allow Jesus to call us to himself! Let us be
“con-voked” by him. And let us listen to him, with the joy that comes from
receiving his word together, from letting ourselves be taught by that word and
by the Holy Spirit, and to become ever more of one heart and soul, gathered
around him.

And as we
are thus “con-voked”, “called to himself” by our one Teacher, I will tell you
what the Church needs: she needs you, your cooperation, and even more your
communion, with me and among yourselves. The Church needs your courage, to
proclaim the Gospel at all times, both in season and out of season, and to bear
witness to the truth. The Church needs your prayer for the progress of Christ’s
flock, that prayer  let us not forget this!  which, along with the
proclamation of the Word, is the primary task of the Bishop. The Church needs
your compassion, especially at this time of pain and suffering for so many
countries throughout the world. Let us together express our spiritual closeness
to the ecclesial communities and to all Christians suffering from
discrimination and persecution. We must fight every form of discrimination! The
Church needs our prayer for them, that they may be firm in faith and capable of
responding to evil with good. And this prayer of ours extends to every man and
women suffering injustice on account of their religious convictions.

The Church
needs us also to be peacemakers, building peace by our words, our hopes and our
prayers. Building peace! Being peacemakers! Let us therefore invoke peace and
reconciliation for those peoples presently experiencing violence, exclusion and
war.

Thank you,
dear Brothers! Thank you! Let us walk together behind the Lord, and let us
always be called together by him, in the midst of his faithful people, the holy
People of God, holy Mother the Church. Thank you!

The new cardinal-electors (those who
will be eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope) are:

- Pietro
Parolin, Titular Archbishop of Acquapendente, Secretary of State

- Lorenzo Baldisseri,
Titular Archbishop of Diocleziana, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops

- Gerhard Ludwig
Müller, Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Regensburg, Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith

- Beniamino Stella,
Titular Archbishop of Midila, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

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